Puppys/dogs.... Vet? or Do it yourself?

[Rusty Shackelford]

I like this. Read about it on the internets. My wife works at clinic, and lets just say that if I had a dollar for every time she came home and told a story about a patient who read about something on the internets and got it wrong, neither one of us would have to work.

My guess is the same thing goes for vets. Sure, you can deworm your dog and give some other shots, but have you ever hit a vein with a needle? Do you know what to do when you do? Can you read a lab report? Do you understand the reporting range? Do you understand interactions? What about rate of occurrence? You're not paying the guy for the times when everything is good, you're paying him for the time it's bad.

I'll tell you the way it was explained to me once. Of the people who go to the doctor, 80 percent will be fine if they do nothing, 15 percent need a nurse, and 4.9999 percent need a doctor. The trick is, knowing which group you're in.

You can do it yourself for years and be just fine. But the first time you make a mistake, you, or your kid, or your pet is going to die. That's ok, though, you saved a dollar.

[akhimark]

Originally Posted by Rusty Shackelford

I like this. Read about it on the internets. My wife works at clinic, and lets just say that if I had a dollar for every time she came home and told a story about a patient who read about something on the internets and got it wrong, neither one of us would have to work.

My guess is the same thing goes for vets. Sure, you can deworm your dog and give some other shots, but have you ever hit a vein with a needle? Do you know what to do when you do? Can you read a lab report? Do you understand the reporting range? Do you understand interactions? What about rate of occurrence? You're not paying the guy for the times when everything is good, you're paying him for the time it's bad.

I'll tell you the way it was explained to me once. Of the people who go to the doctor, 80 percent will be fine if they do nothing, 15 percent need a nurse, and 4.9999 percent need a doctor. The trick is, knowing which group you're in.

You can do it yourself for years and be just fine. But the first time you make a mistake, you, or your kid, or your pet is going to die. That's ok, though, you saved a dollar.

It sure would be easier if we had gubment provided health care for people and pets! Just think - no, wait, you don't have to think, just go to the doc or hospital or vet and let the gubment pay for it. Remember ITS FREE!

warning - possible thread hijack

[stretdr]

The cost seems about right to me. And you have a handful of visits left before you are done! Then you are on the track to a once a year visit unless something goes wrong. Don't chance it. Let the vet do it. You took on a responsibility with that basset hound when you bought him. As a responsible owner, you should have him checked by a vet once a year and have heartworm tests ran, get his shots, etc. For the love that you will get from your dog, it will be well worth what you pay. Trust me, I have two of them and just got done with our yearly shots, exam, and 6 months of heartguard for each. 205.00 . 65 of it was for the two things of Heartguard. The rest was for the shots, exam. 70 per dog. Not bad for all the laughs and kisses I have gotten from our Jack Russell Terrorists!

[Jarhead]

Originally Posted by dasanii19

Im curious if any of you give your dogs shots/examinations ect. ect. yourself instead of paying the vet to do it?

I think I could do the routine exam and deworming pills myself and save $50..

Don't pay to give your pooch pills. Dewormers are easier now than ever. But giving your dog an exam? My Dad is a Veterinarian so I grew up watching him do any number of things to both large and small animals. Ask me to examine my Bullmastiff for general health or due to illness, and you may as well ask me to fly to the moon. You shouldn't have kids if you can't support them, same goes for dogs. Trust the doc my friend.
Many do their own injections. Be very cautious of sterility and immobilization of the injection site. A spastic pooch could break the needle.

[akhimark]

Originally Posted by Jarhead

My Dad is a Veterinarian so I grew up watching him do any number of things to both large and small animals.

Hope you had to clean out as many cages and stalls as I did growing up with a vet for a father. It wasn't too bad, but I never seemed to do well assisting in surgery. My dad didn't like it too much when his assistant/son passed out while holding a dog part he was cutting on. It sure was cheaper when I needed stiches (sp?).

[Old School]

Maybe its just me, but my last dog went to the vet just three times. Once when she was spayed (puppy), the second time for an ear infection that wouldn't go away and the third time when she was put down (age 12).

I see it this way. Dogs are animals and unless your dog is eating out of the trash, how bad can it get? Can it get heart worms? Sure. But dogs have lived many, many years before we had vets. Now, people just spend a lot of cash on preventative stuff that just doesn't matter. Vets love pet lovers; they spend a lot of money!

Did I love my dog? Yes I did. Did I feel that it was OK to spend $250+ per year on vaccines and what not? No, my human family was more important. I knew where my dog was at all times, what came in contact with her and could tell when she was not feeling well. The vet to me is like the ER. You go when you have no other option.

Flame on...

OS

[dasanii19]

Originally Posted by Tard

Which part of that was funny to you, a-hole?

The first sentence wasnt me laughing at your dog, I was writing LoL for me being a cheap skate and finally giving in to having to pay for the vet visit.

The second sentence was me showing sympathy for your dog.

[arizona98tj]

Originally Posted by billbrasky

Those prices are quite fair. Vets arent charities, they have to make money also.

I don't begrudge anyone making money....but how about this:

Several years back, we had gotten a couple of pups and started them at the vet office we had been using for years. Seems the practice was sold....no biggie, same building, in we go. The pups are checked out as OK and we put them on heart worm medication, per the vet's suggestion.

A year later, in they go for a checkup.
"We need to test your dogs for heart worm."
"Why", I ask.
"You don't want to take a chance that they have heart worm, do you?"
"Well, not at all. However, they've been on heart worm prevention pills for the past year."

I asked the vet to tell me which part was the scam....the pills or the test. She wouldn't answer me.

Either I'll pay for the pills and skip the test or I'll skip the pills and pay for the test. It would seem that paying for both isn't really necessary.

Yeah, vets aren't charities.....but some aren't exactly honest either.

Oh yeah....one other thing.....I shopped around and found an on-line supply house that sold the heart worm medication for about 60% of what the vet charged. I call and find out that they need a prescription in order to selll it to us. I called the vet's office....they refuse to write a prescription as they are worried that we will receive fake medication. I'm sure they were much more concerned for my dogs welfare than they were about the loss of $$ coming from my pocket.

[Old School]

Originally Posted by arizona98tj

II asked the vet to tell me which part was the scam....the pills or the test. She wouldn't answer me.

If you ever refuse ANY service at the vet, they always go for the "You don't want your dog to die of a horrible death do you?" card.

Wanna save some money on Heartgard: http://www.google.com/products?hl=en...gard&scoring=p

OS

[Bree]

When you need some brain surgery do you save a few bucks by having a plumber do some or all of the work?

Get real. Pay a professional to do professional work on the animal that you love.